Brian Brooker didn't just write ads. He wrote campaigns that ran for years and years, helped Southwest Airlines find its voice under the legendary Herb Kelleher, and built a 100-person creative org as CCO of Garmin. From his early days at Bernstein-Rein and Barkley & Evergreen in KC to his move to GSD&M in Austin, Brian brought a deceptively simple philosophy to every room he walked into. He brought back his learnings in Austin to Barkley and helped create the memorable Two Guys campaign for Sonic. In this episode, he sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about the work, the craft, and the principles that guided it all: keep it simple, take the side door, and never forget that everything matters.

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Season Three of KC Marketing Legends kicks off the way every good conversation should, by looking back before looking forward. Sam and Mike reunite to dig into the common threads that ran through Season Two: the mentors who shaped careers, the principles that held up across decades, and the moments that proved great marketing is as much about character as craft. Then they turn the page to what's ahead. Another class of legends with stories that are just as rich, just as honest, and just as KC.

None of it happens without the people who make this show possible: Evolution Audio, Springboard Creative, Media Head, Extra Virgin, the Kansas City Ad Club, and Greater Kansas City PRSA. Pull up a chair. Season Three is just getting started.

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Pete Kovac is an absolute legend in the advertising world and a founding partner of the iconic agency NKH&W. Pete’s been part of the Kansas City marketing scene for decades, with a career that stretches from working on the client side, to running major agencies, to co-founding one of the most successful shops in town.

He’s going to share his take on how the ad industry has evolved, what it really takes to build client relationships that last, and the lessons he’s picked up while mentoring some of the best talent to come through his doors—including Sam, by the way. And if we’re lucky, we might even get a story or two about his ranch out in the Flint Hills.

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